An article in The Times brings the ongoing asbestos threat in UK schools in the UK once again into sharp focus. According to a National Audit Office survey, over 21,000 schools still contain asbestos, with 24,000 schools now beyond their initial design life. Although banned in 1999 for use in construction, the material continues to […]
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Billed by Rishi Sunak as “the most significant thing to ever happen in the NHS”, the long-awaited NHS long term plan aims to fix staffing issues to future proof the health service. Sunak has allocated £2.4 billion over five years to deliver the “largest expansion in training and workforce” in the 75 year history of […]
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Rishi Sunak has signalled he is willing to overrule independent review bodies recommendations for public sector pay rises, provoking fury from trade unions who say millions will be left even worse off. The prime minister said he will block public sector pay rises if they are considered unaffordable because they could set off a “wage-price […]
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Witnesses testifying at the Covid inquiry this week have pointed to the UK’s lack of preparedness, Brexit, austerity, and racism as the weaknesses leading to an inadequate response to the pandemic. Several experts said the UK had prepared for a deadly flu outbreak rather than a pandemic like coronavirus. They also accused the government of […]
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The 72-hour strike by junior doctors demanding pay restoration to 2008-2009 levels began this morning at 7 am. The previous strike in April translated into the cancellation of nearly 200,000 appointments, with this walkout likely to have a similar impact on patients. Almost all routine procedures will face disruption. NHS England’s medical director told the […]
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Nurses have rejected the government’s deal to end their industrial action and pencilled in two days of escalated strikes from 8pm on April 30 to 8pm on May 2. Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) voted 54% to 46% to reject the offer of a 5% pay rise and one-off cash bonus for […]
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With junior doctors demanding a 35%-pay rise and the government insisting it cannot afford such a sharp increase, the BMA has asked the government to enlist conciliation service Acas to help end the stand-off. The British Medical Organisation, representing junior doctors, told the BBC that working with Acas provided “the most realistic chance” of ending […]
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A report by thinktank Policy Exchange has revealed that schools are implementing their own gender ideology in the absence of clear government guidelines. Some schools fail to inform parents about their child’s gender distress because of data protection and privacy concerns. The report’s authors warn that countless schools’ routinely disregard’ safeguarding principles concerning gender identity […]
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Unions representing nurses, ambulance staff and other NHS workers have reached a pay deal with the government that could see the end of their industrial action. After months of strikes and weeks of negotiations, the three biggest unions – Royal College of Nursing (RCN), GMB and Unison – are recommending their members accept the deal […]
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Children’s charity Coram published its annual Childcare Survey today. The report points to significant childcare shortages, with children from disadvantaged areas missing out the most. Only half of all local areas have sufficient childcare places for under two-year-olds, down seven per cent from last year. Only 48 per cent of local authorities have enough places […]
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